24 A New Beginning
by Kendoka Girl
Summary: CTU Agent Claire MacGregor is new to the unit, but her first assignment will open her eyes and run her across Jack Bauer, who is on the run from deadly assassins. Meanwhile, Tony and Michelle rekindle their relationship as Jack sorts his own feelings.
1. Staring down the Barrel

Man, I'm swept up in a stream of consciousness. I've got Star Wars, Star Trek, CSI, and now, 24 running through me head. Gotta go with it. With Jack Bauer going incognito at the end of the last season, I'm having a new agent move in. Here's a little bizzaroness from my imagination.

**24 – A new beginning**

Heat roiled up from the dusty ground around me in this foreign land. I could feel the warm sweat running down my back, soaking my sand-colored BDUs beneath my heavy body armor. My M-4 assault rifle pointed low, into the dirt, impotent…as I stared at one single object ahead of me.

_How did I get into this mess?_

It was all to have been so simple – fly in…pick up a source…fly out. The trip to Bagram AB was easy. Once the aircraft was stored in the old Soviet hangar, I was suppose to just hang out until the team returned with the target. The food there was pretty decent with the contractors and all and I heard they play a mean game of poker. Plus, it would have been exciting to watch the resurfacing of the runway.

Simple, huh?

Somehow, I was talked into coming on the expedition and I changed from my khaki flight suit, known as the bag, into desert BDUs and was handed weapons and ammo. After checking the selector to ensure it was on safe, I loaded my magazines with 5.56mm rounds and then put the muzzle of my M-4 into the clearing barrel like I had been told a million and one times. I popped in a mag, hearing the click, tugging once, and then pressed the bolt catch with my left hand.

A round chambered…rock and roll.

For good measure, I took along a SiG-Sauer, 9mm pistol and shoved it in a thigh rig, clasping the plastic ring over the slide. I then threw on my thick body armor and Kevlar, happy to be part of this exciting expedition.

We jumped into the Hummer, which mounted a machine gun on the roof to deal with any trouble, and drove into the countryside to rendezvous with the source, who was suppose to be reliable…suppose to be.

Famous last words.

Upon our arrival into the village, I dismounted from the vehicle and fell in with the squad. All seemed quiet with various farm animals milling about, making quiet animal noises. A chicken here…a goat there. Smoke from cooking fires rose from homes as we began to approach the hut of the source.

It was hot and I foolishly removed my Kevlar to wipe my moist forehead.

Rookie move.

It was then, that I heard the cocking of the hammer of a pistol near my head.

_How did I get into this mess?_

I turned to look down the barrel of a black pistol, aimed between my eyes. I swore I could see the round, gleaming copper at the end of that deadly tube. All around me, friendly rifles rose in retaliation, pointing back at my would be killer.

_How did I get into this mess?_

I am First Lieutenant Claire MacGregor, United States Air Force and soon to be CTU agent. This is how my story unfolds…

1330:31…32…33…34…


	2. Bait and Switch

Well, I was on a roll. My imagination is running away. So, what does this have to do with 24? I think it'll become obvious. You just have to expand your horizon and allow other possibilities. After all, someone has to go after Jack Bauer. 

Wow, too much Tylenol Sinus last night - I updated with corrections, making it all first person. It should read a bit smoother now.

I almost forgot...standard legal disclaimers apply - it's all fiction and the genreis owned bythe respective copywrites and I make no profit nor make any material gain from the endeavor. Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead,or to any situations are purely coincidental. Nor do I attempt to portray the genrein any negative light. Whew...

**1330:35…36…37…**

I stood there for what seemed eternity as my eye began to focus on other issues. There was a hand, holding the pistol, shaking slightly. He was as scared as I was. My partners moved forward aggressively, rifles held high with intent to kill and shouting ensued, much of which I did not understand.

The face behind the gun was stoic, but nervous. Certainly one who had met death and embraced it. Unexpectedly, he grinned broadly through his thick beard and lowered the pistol.

I breathed a sigh of relief as my fellow troops bundled the man up and began to speak to him. It turned out that he was the source we were suppose to meet and this whole game was charade so he could tell the warlords that he did not cooperate, but indeed had killed a US soldier…anyone would do. I just happened to be the mutt that removed her Kevlar at the time.

I sat, weakened to the bones, but still coherent. I let the sun beat down upon my face, reminding me of my mistake. I could hear the source chatting with interpreters for sometime before all went silent.

Footsteps kicked up dust. "Okay, Ell Tee, time to ship out. You kept your head pretty well back there. You can never trust these terrorists. They'd just as soon kill you as feed you," one NCO said in passing, hauling me to my feet.

"Thanks, Sarge. Intell says that they are infiltrating the US as we speak."

He smirked. "Scuttlebutt, pure scuttlebutt."

As I turned to go, the source gave me a wink and aimed his finger at my head. I ignored him and boarded the Hummer.

The ride back to the airfield was uneventful until I got back to OPS. The major handed me a sealed communication, which I shredded open immediately. As I unfolded it, the precedence level was high and it was eyes only.

_Why is this for me, a mere lieutenant?_

I blinked twice after perusing the text. "I've got orders back to the States, ASAP, where we're forming a joint task force with CTU. It says I'll be deputized under their structure." I was more than a little irate; how could another agency just yank assets from military operations?

"Well, you saw who signed off on it, don't you? Acting National Security Advisor David Palmer. You don't say no to him. I'd suggest that you pack your bags and fly to LAX to meet with Palmer. I'm sure _you'll_ be free to say no. After all, what are they going to do to you, send you to Afghanistan?"

The flight back was filled with tension until we put wheels on the deck. An unmarked limousine was to pick me up at the gateway and depart without notice. Someone high up had certainly arranged this as it was difficult to move airport assets around on such short notice.

I read the checklist as the aircraft commander shut down systems. "So, I hear you have a hot date?" he asked boldly.

"I can't even talk about it…you know…need to know…and you don't need to know," I bantered with him. "It's got to have something to do with terrorism, but beyond that, who knows?"

The stairway deployed, touching the ground and two men in black suits awaited. As I reached the bottom, each of my bags was taken by a man and placed in a black limousine. "Come with us, lieutenant."

With a shrug, I was stuffed into the cabin where Acting National Security Advisor David Palmer sat, dressed in a luxurious Italian suit. At first, he gave me a strange look. Then, calmly, in a deep voice, he spoke, "Do you need a drink, lieutenant?"

I stiffened before the former president, trying to maintain decorum. "Thank you, no, sir."

Intuitively, he passed me the bottle of water anyway and I drank from it thirstily. He smiled in a warm, fatherly way. "I'll bet you're wondering why you're here. You've been on the front lines in the Global War on Terror now for years and we've seen certain skill sets in you that would benefit us in CTU. It also seems you have a certain…look about you. I've received approval from SECAF to deputize you into our ranks for the time being. You are now a law enforcement officer with arrest and investigative authority, granted by the Attorney General of the United States. Welcome aboard," he concluded while handing her a pistol in a holster, a badge, and a credential case.

"The history of CTU in Los Angeles has been very violent as of late. We lost many of our agents to terror, including our best, Jack Bauer…no one can replace him, but you'll be one of his successors. You'll work for Tony Almeida, whom you've probably heard about. He's a good man. Oh, and finally, here are you captains bars. The Department of the Air Force has seen to promote you for some reason. Congratulations."

I blinked heavily…twice. It would take some time to digest all of this.

**CTU Los Angeles**

Now dressed in a business jacket and skirt, I was escorted in by a plump, blonde woman named Chloe O'Brian.

"Agent MacGregor, here are identification passes. Don't lose them now," Chloe said with pouty expression. The blonde woman just bristled with tension and I took the picture cards with a polite nod.

Chloe continued to scuttle forward quickly where she crossed paths with a hefty man with a beard. I extended my hand forward and the man recoiled as if he were struck. The rotund man grimaced, ruffled his plaid shirt and ate a doughnut. Without a word, he scurried off into the conference room and sat in his favorite chair.

"Oh, that's Edgar," Chloe continued in her nasally tone, walking past an open room, where some cleaning was going on. "Don't mind this room either, Nina Myers got capped in there," she said casually, continuing with the grand tour.

Occasionally, Chloe would point at someone without looking at them. "Oh, that's Tony Almeida, your boss. Over there is Michelle Dessler, another suit…she's the Associate Special Agent in Charge, but we're going to take you right to the top."

I followed the frumpy woman up the stairs toward the glass lined conference room. There, a gray-haired man in a blue suit sat, writing reports.

"Come in Claire," he said, motioning for me to sit.

On instinct, I marched forward to the desk and saluted. The man smiled but waved dismissively. "That won't be necessary around here. Call me Bill or Mister Buchanan. You're a civilian now. You're on loan from the DoD and have been given full federal agent powers. I've read your dossier…it's quite impressive with a few blips here and there."

I shrugged – everyone had them.

Buchanan went on, "Command Pilot aboard an electronic warfare platform, pistol, rifle, shotgun, grenade expert, EOD, martial arts, plus…fencing? You mean the sport?"

I nodded, this was all just routine.

Buchanan made a half smile. "I like to test out our new agents in some way. We have a gym downstairs – why don't you suit up?"

I was taken aback. _What kind of introduction is this?_ "Sir? You mean now?"

He stood, motioning me toward the door. "Sure, I'm positive we have most sizes of gear."

I made a face, but followed the man down the stairs and to the gym. _This is an unusual way to meet new personnel, but I've seen stranger._ Buchanan pointed me to the womens locker room and I found a pair of knickers and a jacket that would fit. I always made it a habit to bring along shoes and socks, so all I would have to do is….

"Ah, there you are," I commented, finding the rack of fencing weapons. I eyed several – French grips, Belgian, Russian, Italian. "Here, let's go with this."

I pulled a light Visconti Grip foil from the rack and walked over to the piste, where Buchanan was selecting his mask.

Nervously, I stepped onto the piste and brought the guard of my weapon to my lips. Buchanan nodded, doing the same and then swept his foil down and away. The masks came on.

Tactically…and politically, I decided to take a defensive stance in Sixte, covering my strong arm, while gently dangling my left arm. Buchanan moved forward aggressively, attempting to bind my blade in a pris de-fer, but I deftly disengaged, extending my point at his chest.

"Very good, MacGregor. Where did you learn your technique?"

I shifted, moving laterally, trying to gain a better angle. "Salle LaBoissiere, Paris."

"I'm a Halberstadt man, myself," he answered with a beat. The crisp ring of steel sang, giving Buchanan the initiative. He lunged forward, point high and outside. His rear leg propelled him forward while I eased back a step and brought my blade across in a parry of Quarte. Steel met steel.

Buchanan's blade slid by my breast and I manipulated my point low, towards his flank. Instinctively, he rotated his wrist downward with a semicircular parry, but again, I was able to disengage with a fleche, thrusting my point into Buchanan's chest.

Surprised, he stepped back, raising his hand. "Oh! Parry-ripost, touche. I should have seen that one coming."

With a huff, he stepped back to the engarde line and raised his foil. "Are you ready?"

I nodded smartly and moved forward, my blade held low in Octave. Again, Buchanan advanced, extending his point, letting his height and reach be a factor.

This time, I attempted a bind, enveloping my opponent's blade and thrusting low. As my point neared the target, Buchanan merely relaxed his wrist, easing my blade out of the way in Seconde. With a quick flick of his blade, his point landed on my shoulder.

I grunted, knowing the touch had scored. "Parry-riposte…touche. Very nice, sir…I mean Bill."

I returned to my guard, not liking having given up a touch. As our points met in the middle, Chloe entered.

"Mister Buchanan…Claire, you'll be needed in the briefing room. Erin Driscoll has some items of interest. She sent me down to break up your…whatever it is," Chloe informed, rolling her eyes. She turned and strode away. "I'm not a messenger, you know."

Buchanan tossed his mask off and extended his left hand, which I shook firmly. "We best get up there…no time to change," he commented and walked toward the door, wiping perspiration from his forehead.

I followed along, climbing the stairs back to the briefing room in my white, nylon jacket and knickers. With a squeegee, I tied my ebony hair back in a ponytail.

The room was bustling with activity. I decided to wait and see where everyone sat so as not to offend anyone. These high-level meetings were a quagmire of deceit and politics, grudges and hard feelings.

I cradled my mask in my arms until a seat offered itself. A laptop linked to a projector sat upon a table, awaiting a briefer. Looking around, I made eye contact with Tony Almeida, my supervisor. Short, curly dark hair sat upon his head with a trimmed goatee beneath his lower lip. Without expression, he nodded to me – there would be time for introductions later.

Erin Driscoll, the former Special Agent in Charge, or SAC of LA CTU, had come to interface with her successor, Bill Buchanan. Rumor had it that Erin imploded during the last major incident in which Air Force One was brought down and a WMD was nearly detonated over the city. As a result, Driscoll was kicked upstairs in headquarters and given an administrative post.

Driscoll's face bore the weight of her failure as she stood and picked up the remote. She glared first at Buchanan and then at me, giving me a chilling glance.

_What is going on here? _

I quickly pulled out my compact and looked into the mirror – was there something on my face?

"Ahem." Driscoll cleared her throat. "I've been sent _down_ by headquarters to motivate this office after the last incident. I think we all know that numerous protocols were not followed and that we have a lot to account for here. I'm here to facilitate the audit and accountability process and to point you _back_ in the right direction," she said coldly, looking back and forth between Buchanan and Michelle Dessler, the ASAC.

I pursed my lips silently. _I've gotten myself into a turf war and it's only my first day._

Driscoll continued, "Do not let my presence distract you, however," she said with mock sincerity. "There is one thing that HQ needs you to do right away." Turning to me, she added, "I see you've located the new agent. Mister Palmer requested her by name."

My eyes opened wide and I looked around like she had just been given a booby prize. "Me? What's this about?"

Chloe turned to me. "You mean, no one's told you," she said tiredly. "Nothing changes around here."

"Chloe, enough," chastised Driscoll. "Let's get it out in the open now."

The projector hummed and the lights dimmed, bringing images onto the screen. Bill stood and pointed to a series of images of a young woman with dark hair and gray eyes. My jaw dropped – it could have been my twin.

Buchanan nodded. "Yes, this is why you're here. In these photographs is an assassin named Mandy, who has worked for various foreign governments and terrorist factions. Four years ago, she destroyed an airliner to obtain a media pass card in an attempt to assassinate then, Senator Palmer. Later, she attempted to assassinate President Palmer with a poison substance. In the last incident, in which Jack Bauer was killed, she facilitated the capture of a nuclear weapon by a terrorist cell, by killing over a dozen innocent people. Unfortunately, she was granted immunity from prosecution by the acting President. This means we have to release her."

Bill then turned to me with an offhand grin. "However, I have another idea in mind."


	3. Lost Time

Thanks everyone. More tension between Erin and Bill. Plus we'll look at how the last season affected Tony, Michelle, and Jack. Claire gets herself in deeper.

_**The following takes place between 9:00 am and 10:00 am.**_

My eyes opened wide with near horror as SAC Bill Buchanan's scheme unfolded. I stared at a matrix of the assassin, Mandy's contacts with the extremists and how she was involved in the plot to detonate a nuclear warhead over Los Angeles. The next slide showed how one of the extremists had ties to the Chinese Consulate and an image of Security Chief Cheng appeared.

Erin Driscoll pointed an accusing finger at Buchanan. "Thanks to you, the Chinese Consul was killed and the fallout with the PRC will be enormous. Perhaps it's fortunate that Jack Bauer was killed and took the fall for this."

Bill bit his lip. "I made the call while you were incapacitated. I'm sorry about your daughter, but someone had to step up and prevent the _nuke_ from _destroying_ the city," he answered coldly.

Erin stopped, stunned, reminded of the horrible death of her disturbed daughter. She took a deep breath. "Okay, we're finished here for the time being. I'm going to be taking this place apart, brick by brick, and finding anything that violated protocol."

Driscoll stomped out of the conference room and Buchanan muttered under his breath, "And when you dig past me, you'll find yourself."

I watched the meeting break up and closed my eyes. _How am I going to do this? I'm not trained for such an op._

X x x x x

When the room had emptied, only Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler remained. Michelle stared off into space, trembling. The young ASAC's wavy hair was pulled back and her soft, brown eyes were misty.

"Michelle…Michelle, are you alright?" Tony's voice echoed in her mind, but she did not respond.

He shook her and she jumped, taking a sharp breath. Her brown eyes focused on him, her lip quivering. "Tony…." she whispered. The flash of the image of a car exploding in the night tore through her head and she blinked hard. "I still see the explosion. I…I thought I had lost you."

Tony tried to smile. The last week had been hell and he was only now beginning to come down off of the adrenaline rush. The comfort of seeing Michelle and their reunion was washing over him. From the time he had gone to prison and had learned that Michelle had left him, it was like he was frozen, his heart and mind encased in ice. He choked and a single tear ran down his cheek onto Michelle's face.

Michelle lost all control and sobs wracked her. "Tony…Tony, I was so horrible to you. Can you ever forgive me?"

Tony stared at her for a moment while she looked up at him. Then, silently, he nodded and held her to his chest.

As Michelle's arms strained around his waist, she thanked God that he was still with her. As the moment passed, she whispered, "I love you."

Together, they wiped their eyes and stood. Something else entered their minds now. "I wonder how Jack is doing," they said in unison.

X x x x x

In the PRC Consulate in Los Angeles, Security Chief Cheng sat in the video conference room, reviewing tapes of the raid on the property. "That was an act of war," he said through gritted teeth. "The Americans will pay dearly for such an affront. I swear it."

In his heart, he knew that the raid was more than the act of one rogue agent, Jack Bauer and that David Palmer had lied to them.

"It was fortunate that President Logan was so spineless," another voice spoke, interrupting Cheng's thoughts – it was Su Ming. "At least we can be comforted by the death of Agent Bauer."

Cheng did not respond right away, switching the display to images of Jack Bauer's body, provided to him by the Secret Service. He stared at the pictures for a minute before speaking. "Do we have the autopsy results? I wish to see them."

Su shook his head. "No autopsy was conducted. The body was taken to the morgue and cremated."

Cheng stood sharply. "What? I specifically requested to be present during any procedure involving the body. This is outrageous."

"I will call CTU and ask what happened."

"Yes, please do…this smells of deception again." Cheng sighed and took his seat, allowing Su to depart. He reviewed the images of Jack's body over and over. "Fools, what do they take me for?"

He picked a disposable cell phone and punched in some numbers. "Jack Bauer is alive. I want you to put our contacts on it…immediately."

X x x x x

Jack Bauer scratched the ragged beard that he had been growing for a few days since Tony and Michelle had dropped him off. The sound of busses passing nearby did little to stir him from his fatigue and he slowly chewed on an energy bar.

The passports and fake cards that Tony had given him would take him far and he figured a trip to Canada would do him good. It was time to get away from it all for a while – he had been through too much in too short a time.

He looked at the bus ticket to San Francisco and blinked. "I need some sleep," he mumbled as his vision blurred. He wiped his eyes and sighed.

He didn't want to leave Audrey like that – Paul dead and she, thinking he was a murderer…and dead as well.

In a moment of weakness, he inhaled deeply and took out the untraceable cell phone that Tony had provided him. He dialed a number…slowly, reluctantly.

"Hello…Audrey, it's Jack…. Yes, I'm still alive. I…I couldn't bear to let you go like that. I'm so sorry about Paul. It was all my fault. I just wanted you to know how sorry I am. Look…no…. I have to let you go. Just know that I am alive and that I love you."

He pressed the red button of the phone and bit his lip hard, tossing his head back until it hit the brick wall of the bus station. The impact hurt, however, physical pain was irrelevant to him now.

X x x x x

The phone next to Cheng rang. "Yes," he said and a smile crossed his lips. "Most excellent. Remember, we want him alive."

Cheng hung up the phone and moved to put on his coat. His idea to monitor Audrey Raines' numbers was paying off. Although they could not locate Jack Bauer, it was confirmed that he was alive and still in Los Angeles somewhere.

The Security Chief tucked a pistol into a concealed holster and called for a vehicle to pick him up. Now, all he would have to do is lose the expected American surveillance on him and meet with his people in the field.

It would all come together soon.

X x x x x

I followed Bill back onto the CTU floor, where the monitors were replaying the horrible events of the past week. How the extremists acquired the nuke was only now being revealed by CTU offices across the country.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to see Tony Almeida.

"Agent MacGregor, I know this is a whirlwind for you, but I need to bring you up to speed and give you an orientation."

The way he looked at me told me that there was something there…something suspicious. I also saw how his eyes and cheeks were red and knew that he had been crying. I nodded and followed him into his office.

He glanced away, holding his mouth open for a moment. "I'm sorry, I find it difficult to look at you. You look so much like her."

"You mean Mandy?" I had heard how much abuse he had taken from the assassin and how she had nearly killed him. "I'm sorry about what happened, but I'm not her. I assure you, I'm a loyal American."

He nodded. "I've read your service record…You were in Afghanistan for a year. You've been in numerous operations that resulted in many lives being saved. I'm sorry, don't worry about me."

I smiled, appreciating his words.

Tony continued, "I've been told that former President Palmer presented you with your badge and gun."

I pulled my jacket open to show him the golden badge on my skirt belt as well as the Glock 22 in a holster.

He smirked. "Good, then let's get started, shall we? Mandy will be released soon and we're going to milk her for everything she has. Let's go talk to her."

Again, my eyes opened with surprise.

9:57:22…23…24…25…


	4. Send in the Clones

I'm on a roll, but wow, my fingers are tired...a little Star Wars, a little 24. Thanks everyone. Thanks for the plot tip too.

**_The following takes place between 10:00 am and 11:00 am._**

Security Chief Cheng walked boldly to the carport, confident that CTU surveillance was on him. He had drawn much attention to himself in the last week since the drama of the raid and the pressure that he had put on President Logan.

So much the better. Such attention would play right into his schemes.

Cheng stepped decisively into a waiting limo with a driver and closed the door. The limo then drove away through the open gate to the Consulate, soon to be followed by two vehicles.

What the CTU agents didn't see was Cheng passing through the floor of the limo into an underground parking lot. Two assistants helped him into another, unmarked and nondescript Honda. Cheng lay down on the rear seat and it folded up, taking him into a secured compartment in the trunk. The driver started the engine and drove up the ramp onto the street, passing another CTU vehicle.

The agent watched the Honda drive away. "Negative, it's just the cook. We already have two units on Cheng."

Soon, the Honda disappeared from view.

10:08:45…46…47…48

In the CTU Office, I followed Tony down to the holding cells where Mandy was being held. The official executive order to release her would be forthcoming shortly and we had to get as much as we could out of her about her ties to the extremists and to Cheng before she was cut loose.

"Say Tony, what leverage do we have against her, if any?" I asked, thinking that Mandy could tell us to blow smoke and we'd have nothing.

He handed me a file as we walked. "Just your brains and my good looks," he quipped before a call came in.

I gave him a wry smirk and opened the file as he answered the phone.

"Hello," Tony answered. "Good, you stay on Cheng in the limo. He's up to no good."

My eyes were drawn immediately to a photograph of this Uber bitch and it was like looking into a mirror – her hair was longer and she had a small mole, but nearly everything else….

Four years ago, she had destroyed an airliner to recover one small ID card in an attempt to assassinate then Senator Palmer. It was all part of a grander scheme by Victor Drazen to get back at those, who he believed had killed his family.

"A man named Ira Gaines contracted her for the hit, but Gaines ended up dead," advised Tony. "It was through that incident that we uncovered two traitors in CTU, one of them being Nina Myers."

"Yah, I heard about her." I had also heard that she had been romantically involved with both Tony and Jack Bauer…I had heard a lot lately.

I continued reading and walking. Mandy's history was very sketchy – she could accurately imitate any English accent from Australian to American to Scottish. No one knew where she came from. It was obvious that she was skilled in all manner of small arms, explosives, and poisons. The fact that she had used a biological agent on President Palmer spoke to the backing that she had in her operations. I read a blurb on how she was trained on CBRNE or all of the mega nasties – Chem, bio, radiological, etc.

This girl was a walking time bomb and woe to anyone who got on her radar.

We arrived at the sentry post for the holding cells and Tony showed the guard his credentials and I did the same. "You need to store your weapon in here," Tony told me. "No firearms in the cells."

He pulled out his pistol and put the muzzle in the clearing barrel, popping out the magazine.

"Smith and Wesson?" I asked.

He put the pistol into a small locker and took the key. "I like my nine millimeter."

I followed suit, tossing my Glock in another locker. "Smaller holes…I like the forty cal," I teased, insinuating that the 9mm was less effective than the .40.

We entered the cells with the loud buzz of alarms and the clang of metal gates. The walk down the concrete corridor echoed our footsteps until we arrived at her room, an 8x10 chamber with a simple bed and a toilet. There she was in a blue jumpsuit.

She saw Tony first and smirked. "Feeling better, I see, Agent Almeida. I'm glad I didn't hurt you too badly. Now get me the hell out of this place or do I have to-"

Her gray eyes immediately fixed on mine.

Her mouth froze with lips parted for a second until she let out a sinister laugh. "Neat trick, Tony. CIA plastic surgery works wonders. Now get me the hell out of here…now."

It was Tony's turn to take the offensive. "I'm glad I didn't knock you flat myself. Well, the Presidential order to release you hasn't come in yet. It gives us a chance to chat and get to know one another better."

Her expression changed immediately. "What? This is bull. I have immunity from prosecution. You don't mess with a Presidential order. You want to wind up back in prison?"

Tony smiled, enjoying seeing her squirm. "Immunity from _prosecution._ Nobody's prosecuting you right now, are they?"

Mandy banged the bars to the cage with her hands and Tony continued, "You're a foreign combatant. I could have you shipped off to Gitmo or you could just disappear…you've got no one who will miss you."

That comment put her over the edge. With a shriek, she reached through the bars at Tony, but he caught her arm. I jumped in and seized her elbow, pushing it against the bar. Together, we brought her under control.

Panting, she sneered at us. "All right, you son of a bitch, what do you want?"

We released her arm and backed away. She was like a cornered animal, feral and dangerous.

Tony took a breath. "What were your ties to Marwan and to the Chinese Consul?"

In her sociopathic way, Mandy sighed and took on a most pleasant demeanor. "Why Tony, all you had to do was ask."

10:31:02…03…04…05

I slapped the black, plastic magazine back in my Glock and holstered it, snapping the thumb strap closed. Mandy was behind me, handcuffed and shackled, with Tony bringing up the rear.

Waiting for us was Agent Curtis Manning with a manilla folder. "I have Mandy's release order," he advised.

The raven-haired woman smiled. She knew she was had by Tony and that he really had no leverage with her after all. "Brilliant, Agent Almeida. You should work for me." Then, she fixed her gaze on my way. "And you, Agent MacGregor…my little clone, we _will_ meet again."

The guard undid her cuffs and shackles and she shook her wrists. She took her clothing from another guard and changed on the spot. Curtis' eyebrows shot up as Tony and the other men looked away.

When she was finished, she bounced back up, perky as a school girl. "So, where are you taking me to lunch?"

10:36:52…53…54…55

On the floor of CTU, Michelle Dessler monitored the surveillance of Security Chief Cheng on her display. Mixed emotions still roiled through her in the aftermath of the last incident and she found it hard to concentrate.

_I've got to focus. There will be time to rest later,_ she thought as the dot, representing Cheng's limo, turned toward Chinatown.

Curtis Manning's voice caught her attention. "Prisoner coming through."

Michelle looked up to see Curtis leading Mandy, Tony, and the new agent, Claire, to the main entrance.

_They do look alike._

Michelle's eyes bore holes in Mandy as the assassin walked gleefully onward toward freedom.

Mandy noticed this and returned the stare. "Tony, is that your lady love?" she asked, treating him like he was a close friend. "She is as beautiful as her picture. You two, be good to each other." Then, she waved to Michelle. "So, you wouldn't violate the rules to save him, would you. Well, take care of him, Michelle, he's very injury prone."

Michelle's face turned red and she seethed inside. She turned to Chloe. "How could they let such a monster go?"

"If the President says we do it, then I guess we have to do it," Chloe answered, but her attention drifted off. The dot representing the limo was fading. "Michelle, something's happening to our data feed. Edgar, what did you do?"

"I didn't do nothing!" came the irritated reply.

Michelle shook her head. "It's okay, we still have two cars on Cheng."

10:47:10…11…12…13

Somewhere in Chinatown, the Honda pulled into an enclosed garage and Cheng stepped out. He looked around to see two men in suits approach. "Thank you for coming," he announced and the two bowed.

Together, they entered a metal door and walked to an office. Once inside, Cheng opened a folder and placed a series of photographs and documents on a table. The men read over the papers, written in Chinese characters, and nodded.

"Jack Bauer is still in the city," announced Cheng. "He is the key to exposing the American's duplicity in all of this. In order to turn up the heat on him and flush him out, we need to turn up the heat on Audrey Raines."

The two men nodded and opened a cabinet full of weapons. A call brought more men into the room.

Cheng smiled. "Do not kill Miss Raines as there will be unacceptable fallout with Secretary Heller. Beyond that, do what you must to bring Bauer into the open."

The men grunted and together, they left the room.

10:56:49…50…51…52


	5. The Game is Afoot

I'm actually going to split this up into two chapters. I'm sleepy. More from Tony and Michelle and Jack searches his feelings.

**_The following takes place between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm._**

In an old, white van, driving from Chinatown, Security Chief Cheng ran a hand through his black hair while nodding his head. He held a cell phone to his ear and spoke forcefully, "I don't care what it takes…you want money, I'll get you money. You want passage out of the US when this is done, I'll do that too."

His expression changed, softening. "Good…good, I see we have an understanding then. Give me the location of Jack Bauer…now, please. The call came from a bus station? Good…do not worry, the money will be wired to your account as usual."

Excitement took over Cheng's being. He was now on the hunt. He looked at one of the men in the van. "We have an insider who has access to military and satellite communications," he said as he pulled out a map of Los Angeles. "Bauer was here earlier," Cheng continued, stabbing his finger on the map.

The van turned left and accelerated down the road as men in the back pulled on black balaclavas and inserted magazines into automatic weapons.

"Keep the other van on Miss Raines…we can kill two birds with one stone."

11:04:51…52…53…54

I stood outside CTU Headquarters with Mandy, Tony, and Curtis Manning as a car pulled up. Another agent got out and opened the door.

"Mandy, we have an open ticket for you…one way, out of the US. I suggest you depart quickly," Curtis said coldly.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Curbside service, I'm so impressed," she gushed as she slid in the backseat. She primped her hair and straightened her skirt. "Oh, I've got some ketchup on my blouse…wait, that's Tony's blood."

I rolled my eyes as Tony pulled me aside. "Claire, you and Curtis take her to LAX. Make sure she gets on the plane. I need to stay here and catch up on some admin things."

I nodded, reluctant to accompany my sociopathic twin, but I slid in next to her with Curtis taking the front seat. We had gotten what we wanted and I knew Tony had a hard time being around her. I shut my door and the car drove away.

Tony returned to CTU and took a long, deep breath. He chewed his lip for a moment before heading back to the floor. In the hallway, Michelle met him there.

"I hate her…I hate her, Tony, I hate her," Michelle said, her nostrils flaring with anger.

Tony seemed stunned by the sudden onslaught of her emotions. "You mean Claire?" he said in jest.

Michelle pouted. "You know who I mean. She used me…used you…. She forced me to chose between what's right and your life," Michelle said darkly, recalling how Mandy tried to manipulate her to interfere with the operation, using Tony's life as leverage. "And then she has the gall to taunt us like that. If I ever see her again, I swear…Presidential immunity or no, I'm going to shoot her dead."

Unexpectedly, Tony chuckled.

Michelle turned her wrath on him. "What? What's so funny?"

"You know, you turn me on when you're angry."

She tried to stay upset with him, but it was impossible. "Why, you…you…."

"Awww, c'mere," he whispered. It was becoming easier…almost natural again. He pulled her head to his shoulder and stroked her soft hair. The light scent of jasmine filled his nostrils and it drove him mad. They pulled apart for a moment and their eyes met.

"Ummm, Miss Dessler…." It was Edgar.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Yes, Edgar, what is it?"

"I think you need to look at this."

Tony and Michelle disengaged and Michelle straightened her coat with a nervous cough. "Uhhh, Tony, keep in touch with Curtis and make sure that Mandy gets on her flight."

Tony nodded and went off to another office. Michelle nodded to Edgar with a forced smile and they headed to the floor.

On the monitor, Edgar pointed to the surveillance display. "We've lost the data feed and Chloe can't get it back," he huffed, drawing a menacing look from Miss O'Brien. "Furthermore, I just got a call from the Army. A shipment of LAWS rockets was stolen enroute to Los Angeles."

Michelle's face darkened. "The anti-tank weapons? How have they responded? Could this be some of Marwan's faction who are still out there?"

Edgar shrugged. "Sorry, nothing yet. They said Army CID was on it."

"We should have someone out there as well. Tell them that I'll send an agent. I know we haven't accounted for all of the extremists yet."

11:15:07…08…09…10

Jack Bauer slept as the bus droned on, heading north. A derelict woman sat next to him, muttering about aliens. "They're coming for you!" she shouted, waking him.

"What?" he mumbled, licking the inside of his mouth and popping in a stick of gum.

"The aliens…they're coming for you," she repeated, nearly incoherent.

"Yah, they're always coming for me," he muttered glumly.

He glanced out of the window, watching Los Angeles go by. How many friends had he lost here and how many had he saved. He thought about his daughter, Kim, who was now a CTU agent, working in Oakland.

_So close, but we never seemed to have the time to visit. God, I want to call her…hear her voice._

He knew that was impossible. Once Kim knew he was alive, the cat would be out of the bag. At least Audrey could keep a secret.

Jack let out a deep sigh and furrowed his brows. _What am I doing? How can I leave here? Everything I have is here._

He remembered the dark days after Teri was killed by the treacherous Nina Myers. Afterward there were the endless drunken nights and the blurry days. He was on admin leave for a year before he could function again. He winced when he remembered how Kim blamed him for that.

_Shooting Nina…best thing I ever did. May she burn in hell._

Recently, Jack had learned to live again…to love again, but it would all soon vanish like the smoke from a gun barrel.

An expression of anger came over him. The Chinese and President Logan's weakness drove him from everything he knew. Bitterness once again began to take hold of his soul. After all he had done and been through…Jack Bauer had saved millions and what did he get?

_No good deed goes unpunished._

Only David Palmer had stood by him…and Tony and Michelle. No finer friends could he have.

He stood up from his seat and stepped past the crazy woman. He had to see Audrey one last time.

Ringing the bell, he made his way to the front, noticing a white van paralleling the bus.

_Odd, that van has no plates._

He saw the van's occupants wearing hooded balaclavas, hiding their faces and automatic weapons were raised. His blood ran cold.

11:29:49…50…51…52


	6. First Blood

Let's finish off the hour with 24-style action. Thanks for the support everyone.

**_The following takes place between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm._**

Seeing the van full of armed and hooded men, Jack sprinted up to the driver. "Pull this bus over now!" he commanded. The driver, a grizzled old man in a gray cap, gave him a dismissive look.

"Next stop, LAX. Sit down, buster."

Without hesitation, Jack drew his Sig-Sauer pistol and aimed it at the man's head. Amid screams from the nearby passengers, he repeated, "Pull this bus over now!"

_Audrey? Oh God…could this involve Audrey?_ he thought suspiciously of his earlier call.

The white van accelerated ahead of the bus and slid in front, coming to a stop. With panicked wide eyes, the driver jammed on the break, screeching to a halt. Jack threw the door handle forward, ripping the portal open as men in black streamed from the van.

Jack leapt from the bus as a man rushed at him with a Kalashnikov assault rifle lowered. Bauer had the drop on him as the man searched through the bus' window for signs of his prey. Jack raised his pistol and pressed the trigger, sending a 9mm round into the man's head.

As the slide recoiled and the shell ejected, Jack could see the man pitch over backward and the AK-47 he was holding erupted into a stream of automatic weapons fire.

The screaming from bystanders began as people ran for cover.

From the side, another man rushed at Jack, the butt of his rifle raised to strike. He saw it out of the corner of his eye and, on pure instinct, fired several rounds into the man's chest. The assailant staggered, but his body armor absorbed the impact. He completed his blow, hammering Jack in the chest, knocking the former CTU agent to the sidewalk.

Foolishly, the bus driver poked his head out of the door and yelled, "Hey, stop that!"

From another attacker, a hail of 7.62mm rounds hammered into the bus, perforating the driver, who dropped backward.

On his back, Jack pumped out another shot, taking his attacker in the neck and he rolled away behind the bus, firing rounds blindly for cover. In return, a spray of automatic weapons fire shattered the bus' windshield, flinging glass shards over Jack.

A voice called out, "Don't kill him, you fool, we need him alive."

As frenzied bystanders fled in all directions, Jack stood and resumed firing, spent shell casings flying into the air. He sprinted into a store, diving through the open door as automatic weapons fire burst upon the wooden wall of the establishment, shattering more glass.

"Get him! Go after him!" the voice commanded again.

"If he resists, we may have to kill him," another voice answered tersely.

Jack heard booted footsteps moving up to the store and noticed his slide was locked back – his magazine was empty.

Fleeing to the back of the store as employees scrambled out of the way, Jack thumbed the magazine release and the metal container dropped away. He immediately slapped a fresh mag into the well and popped the slide stop, letting it go forward.

He ran into a storeroom, where people started screaming and the automatic fire tore up the area.

11:30:47…48…49…50

In CTU Headquarters, Inspector Erin Driscoll reviewed a manpower matrix for CTU Los Angeles. She shook her head – Bill Buchanan had too many agents finishing up the investigation of Marwan and out at the crash scene for Air Force One.

_And three agents escorting that Mandy character to the airport? Preposterous._

They would be needed in here for the audit. She picked up the phone. "Miss O'Brien, I need you to bring me the CTU Los Angeles gas expenditures for the last month. The records for the last week show a marked increase in spending. This is unacceptable."

There was silence for a couple of seconds. "Ummm, Miss Driscoll, I'm kinda busy. I'm fixing the data feed for the surveillance. Besides, if you recall, we had to drive around to stop the nuclear power plants from exploding."

Erin did not like that answer. Her removal as the SAC had embittered her and she was determined to make Bill Buchanan look bad.

"Chloe, you need to do it now."

"Ummmm, Miss Driscoll, I don't work for you any more," Chloe answered and the line went dead.

Erin's eyes opened wide. With a huff, she stood and stomped onto the floor, approaching Michelle. "Miss Dessler, I need to see you right now. You need to recall two of the agents escorting Mandy and reduce the agents at the crash site by half. This audit, mandated by CTU Headquarters in Washington, takes precedence. I warn you, what you decide to do could have career repercussions."

Michelle was about to launch into Erin, such was the turmoil she felt in the last week, but she held her tongue. "Erin, I can't do that. Mandy is dangerous and I'd be putting an agent's life at risk. Plus, we need people at the site. Have you ever seen a major aircraft crash? It's spread out for miles. If something new happens, we can retask people."

Erin shook her head. "No, _you_ don't understand. I see how you want to treat your career. Fine," she said and picked up the radio mike. "To the vehicle transporting Mandy to the airport, pull over and give your location. I am sending another vehicle to pick up two of the agents to be returned to the office."

She turned back to Michelle. "And I am putting a moratorium on gas expenditures and ammunition until your budget gets sorted out."

Michelle looked horrified. "This is ridiculous. How are we supposed to do our job?"

The radio crackled. "This is Curtis Manning. Please repeat. Be advised that we are almost at the airport."

Erin pressed the radio button again. "Curtis, this is Erin Driscoll. I'm recalling you for the ongoing audit. I'll need your statement right away."

"Copy that…standby, we're getting something over the police channel. Automatic weapons fire…a bus being hijacked. It's two blocks from here."

"Do not respond, Curtis. I need you here. It's something the police can handle. Based on your location, it's the local gangs having a turf war…nothing more."

Static filled the radio. "Pshhhhht…Erin…breaking up…unable…copy…."

11:36:02…03…04…05

I raised an eyebrow as Curtis put the radio mike down. "Dammit, why did I do that? She's going to have me for lunch," he said, running his hand nervously through his short, curly black hair.

The driver, Agent Hunter Low, shook his head. "She use to be pretty straight up. What's gotten into her?" He pulled the car over and popped the trunk. "Claire, grab the raid gear, will you?"

Mandy grinned from ear to ear. "Oh, I get to see you in action. Darn, I'll miss my flight."

I ignored her and stepped out to walk to the trunk. I pulled out four sets of body armor and two M-4 assault rifles along with ammo. I came back to the cabin and threw the vests to everyone, including Mandy – anyone in our care would need protection. She reached out to take an M-4, but I pulled it away.

"Don't even think about it," I said, handing it to Curtis. In the back seat, I began loading magazines for my own weapon. I slapped Hunter's back. "Let's go."

He jammed down on the accelerator and the car screeched away with Mandy looking like she had just won the lottery. The car swerved around, taking a hard left down another street. Not having been in Los Angeles in years, I had no idea where we were going and prayed that Hunter and Curtis knew what they were doing. I didn't survive Afghanistan to get waxed here.

Another sudden turn threw me into Mandy as I had not refastened my seatbelt. I grabbed her to steady myself and we came face to face – that was too creepy. She gave me a big, juicy smile as I pushed away and retook my rifle.

Curtis hit the siren and a loud wail pierced the air above the growl of the engine. Within minutes, we could hear automatic weapons fire. I yanked the charging handle of my M-4 back and moved the selector to single shot – I was no longer in a war zone where I could just spray away.

I could see a shot up bus with a man lying face up near the open door. People ran about madly, trying to get out of the way. Two other masked men also lay, unmoving, but another half a dozen ran toward a shattered store.

In slow motion, one of them raised an AK type weapon and muzzle flashes appeared.

"Don't you dare get me killed," Mandy groused.

"Get down," Curtis yelled and I threw myself onto Mandy's lap and she on top of me. My world erupted into sparks and shattered glass as 7.62mm rounds tore into the car, which came to a screeching halt.

I heard Curtis yell and then the sound of his weapon returning fire. As I was on the far side away from the gunmen, I opened my door and bailed out, skinning my knee on the asphalt. More rounds zipped by, making that unmistakable 'whiffing' sound and I hauled Mandy out of the car as Hunter bailed out.

"You, stay here!" I shouted to Mandy, pointing to the ground and I popped up over the trunk and squeezed off a round of 5.56mm. The man moved for cover, giving Curtis the time to leap out, his weapon clattering to the ground. I was about to take another shot when a second gunman opened up and the trunk flew open under the onslaught of lead. I dove back down and peeked under the car, seeing a pair of booted feet where the shooting was coming from.

My eye found the front sight and I pressed the trigger several times, being rewarded by the end of the shooting and a loud scream as the man crashed to the ground.

My heart was pounding by this time with the sound of my own blood surging through my ears. I was blessed by not having had to see too much lead fly and it still scared the beejesus out of me. I choked down my fear and fought to control my breathing. Curtis was returning fire, keeping the gunmen's heads down.

As the wounded gunman lay screaming, I knew it was time to do something. "Curtis, keep them down. I'm moving to the flank."

Hunter moved in behind me as Curtis laid down fire. I turned back to look at him and noticed that Mandy was gone. "Crap! Where did she go?" There was no time to figure it out and I slapped Hunter on the shoulder. "Let's go!"

I sprinted out from behind cover, my breath coming in ragged, fearful gulps. My legs felt like jello as I rushed ahead. I could see three men firing into the store, but two were still shooting at us. Bullets wizzed by and I heard Hunter cry out behind me.

I turned a bit to the left, finding the shooter and I leveled the muzzle of my weapon at him, pressing the trigger many times. The man spun, firing into the air and then collapsed. This caught the attention of the other three, who turned and sprayed randomly at me.

The volume of fire was too much and I ran back to Hunter, dragging him with all my strength as he weakly pushed with his legs.

The three men retreated to another store, firing as they went with shells spilling into the street. I glanced into the first, ruined store and thought I saw a blond man with a beard run out the back.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that was the late Jack Bauer.

11:45:29…30…31…32

At CTU Headquarters, Michelle Dessler's jaw dropped as Curtis called in.

"This is Manning, we are taking heavy fire…agent down!"

Erin Driscoll frowned. "I ordered him to not get involved. He disobeyed a direct order. Michelle, you call them back right now."

Michelle fixed Erin with an evil glare. "You shut the hell up right now and get off of my floor."

Erin stood, flabbergasted as Michelle took the mike from her. "Curtis, help is on the way. What's your status?"

As she waited for the response, she pointed to Chloe. "Get agents out there. Contact LAPD." She was about to ask for Tony to lead them, but something held her back. She couldn't risk it.

"This is Manning, the hostiles are retreating. Hunter's been hit, but not seriously. I hear sirens now. It's LAPD."

Michelle breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks Curtis, you guys hold tight."

"Roger that. These guys had some serious firepower."

Michelle nodded. _Gang war, huh Erin? I don't think so._

Her attention was drawn to the sound of footsteps approaching and she turned around to see a blonde woman walking toward them. Michelle blinked. "Kim…Kim Bauer."

11:52:48…49…50…51

As sirens wailed nearby, Mandy ducked into a printing store. People rushed to the window to see what was going on and the dark-haired woman sat at a computer and pushed some cash into a slide. She brought up a graphic arts program and began to draw some images.

She quickly selected something from a menu and looked up into the webcam with a smile. Mandy then imported the picture of herself and downloaded a symbol from the Internet, superimposing it over her image.

She then typed in 'Special Agent Claire MacGregor CTU.'

11:58:19…20…21…22

In a downtown office in Los Angeles, Audrey Raines sat, still shaking from her conversation with Jack. She put her hand over her mouth, feeling nauseous. "Oh God…oh God, Jack…you're alive."

It brought back intense memories of her estranged husband, Paul, dying on the operating table and Jack forcing the one surgeon to operate on the terrorist.

A fresh wound was reopened.

The phone rang, startling Audrey. She gulped hard and brushed her blonde hair from her red face. _Jack?_

"Hello?"

Jack's voice came through the receiver loudly. "Audrey, get out of there…get out of there now!"


	7. Trust

Here's a half hour. Let's look a little bit at David Palmer and bring Kim in on the action. Does Michelle trust Tony? Did Claire screw up?

_**The following takes place between 12:00pm and 1:00pm**_

Former President and current National Security Advisor David Palmer sat in the back seat of an armored limo, looking out at the scenery of San Diego as it went by. He took a sip from a tall glass of ice tea and thought back on how much had changed in so short a time.

_From Senator to President…one crisis after another. I even survived a coup attempt. It was hell on my family, but what Sherry did…unforgivable. I am sorry that she's dead though, but she brought it on herself. _

_Through all of this, there has been one constant…Jack Bauer. He has been the one sure thing._

Palmer looked down at his scarred hand, the one in which he shook hands with Mandy with and was infected with the biotoxin that she had used. David Palmer had been through a lot – he was the first African American to win the Presidency and that alone carried a lot of pressure. He survived assassination attempts from former enemies and even a political coup by members of his own cabinet. Most recently, he had come out of retirement to get President Logan through the last nuclear crisis.

Logan was incompetent and indecisive and the nation would have suffered catastrophic damage if not for he…and Jack Bauer.

Now Bauer was a political refugee, cast to the four winds by the President's ingratitude.

_No good deed goes unpunished._

Palmer's cell phone rang. It was Su Ming from the Los Angeles Consulate.

"Good day, Mister Palmer."

"Su Ming…it's been a few days. I hope you are well. What do I owe the pleasure of this call to," he said, knowing it would be anything but pleasant.

"Why, Mister Palmer, would you be surprised to know that Jack Bauer is alive? I think that you lied to us."

"Alive? Surely you are mistaken. I saw the reports myself. If I'm satisfied, you should be satisfied."

"Well, Mister Palmer, we are not. I wanted to give you notice that we are on to you now. It is just a matter of time before we bring you down too. Perhaps if you admitted your crime now, this might be resolved quietly."

Palmer sighed with irritation. "I assure you, Su Ming, that I am sure Jack Bauer is dead and that this matter is closed. Good day to you, sir."

The NSA shut off the call and tapped on the driver's shoulder. "Take us to the airport and get priority clearance to LAX now."

12:06:03…04…05…06

In a private office within CTU Headquarters, Los Angeles, Michelle Dessler brought Jack Bauer's daughter in where Tony Almeida was sitting. Tony looked up. "Kim?"

Kim looked distraught, her blonde hair disheveled and her face red with sorrow and anger. "Tony…Michelle, why didn't anyone tell me? Why did it take four days for me to find out my father is dead?"

Michelle and Tony traded nervous glances as they knew the truth. Michelle sighed. "Kim, I'm so sorry. We…we couldn't…."

Kim shook with anger, knowing the risks her father accepted, but trying to defy the truth of his profession. "Michelle, it's me! I'm not someone off the street. I work for the same organization," she pleaded. "Why didn't someone call me? I want to know, dammit!"

Michelle stepped forward and grasped Kim's shoulders. Kim tried to push her away, but the raw emotion was too much. She fell into Michelle's arms, sobbing, weakly pounding her fists on Michelle's chest.

"No no no! Not both of them…not my father too!" she cried, having now lost both of her parents to violence.

Michelle gently rocked Kim as tears flowed onto her blouse. She looked back to Tony and inhaled deeply – they couldn't keep the truth from her.

Tony nodded.

"Kim," said Michelle, "Your father is alive."

Kim pushed away and blinked, wiping away tears. "What? I don't understand."

Tony motioned for them to sit. "Well, it happened this way…."

12:11:30…31…32…33

Jack sprinted through buildings and down side streets for all he was worth, leaping over obstacles and crashing through doors. When the occasional bystander got in the way, he'd yell, "Move!" and blitz by them.

He rounded the corner near where he knew Audrey's office to be and immediately saw an out-of-place van parked at the front by the glass doors. He looked up at the twenty-story building and prayed that Audrey had gotten out.

Breathing deeply, Jack moved back into hiding, trying to formulate a plan and his cell phone vibrated. "Hello, President Palmer? With all due respect sir, this is not a good time and you're not suppose to call me. I don't want you compromised, sir."

"Jack, they're on to you. I needed to warn you. What happened?"

"Sir, I don't know. They came out of the blue. They're after Audrey too."

There was a pause. "I think you're right…there is a compromise…but who? Jack, I'm coming up there. My plane will depart shortly. Hang on, I'm bringing help."

The line went dead and Jack peeked back out to see a dozen masked men throwing Audrey into the van. He bit his lip hard – how could he take on so many and with only his pistol. The last man stepped into the van and slammed the door shut.

_Now or never…._

Jack stepped out, took aim, and fired.

12:18:54…55…56…57

Back at CTU Headquarters, Kim Bauer had gone to wash up, so stunned was she about the news that her father was alive that she felt nauseous. "I'm going to find my father," she said before leaving.

Michelle sat there, shaking her head. "I don't know it this was such a good idea, Tony. Jack's cover is going to be blown."

"We had to tell Kim. How could we hold something like that from her? She's been through too much," he answered and looked at the status board outside. His eyes focused on a screen showing multiple units responding to a shooting near LAX.

"Michelle, you have people heading out to back up Curtis and Claire…why was I not sent along? I'm their supervisor."

Michelle froze for a moment. "I…I needed you here. There are more than enough agents to handle what happened." She changed her tone, trying to deflect Tony's line of questioning. "I know Erin doesn't like it, but tough. We need to find out what's happening."

Tony became serious. "Michelle, I'm not out there because you don't trust me, is that it?"

He had hit near the truth. Michelle looked away and bit her thumb. "I nearly lost you twice…I can't do it again. Not on my orders. No Tony, I won't do it."

His initial reaction was to explode – how could she not trust him? How could she even say that? He took a deep breath and walked up behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders gently. "Michelle, you have to let me do my job. I couldn't live with myself if someone got hurt doing what I should have done."

She couldn't look at him. "I know…I know you have to go."

He nodded and kissed the back of her head. As he turned to go, she grabbed his hand. Their fingers lingered together for a moment until Tony continued on.

"Be safe," she said quietly.

12:22:33…34…35…36

Down on the floor, Tony got on the radio. "Curtis, I'm heading out there. What's going on?"

"Tony, we're talking with LAPD now. They are swarming all over the area, but there is no sign of the gunmen. We have four bad guys dead and one in custody. His feet are shot off, but he's alive."

"Curtis, there's something wrong. I hear it in your voice."

"Ummm…Mandy got away."

Tony's eyes grew. "What? How did this happen?"

Claire's voice came on the line. "Tony, I screwed up. I was suppose to watch Mandy. I led Hunter into the line of fire…it's my fault."

Tony looked around, thankful that Erin hadn't heard any of that. He was sure she would hammer them later, but for now, they had to stick together to find out what was going on. "Look, Mandy was a free woman. We'll find her soon enough and put her on another flight. How's Hunter?"

"He took a round to the thigh," voiced Claire. "He's already on the way to the hospital. I'll meet him there once we're cleared by LAPD."

Tony could hear the concern in her voice. Everything that he had read about her seemed to be true – she cared for her people and she took responsibility. David Palmer had made a good choice.

"Claire, I'm going to need you in the field. The Army is missing some LAWs rockets and, if the new report is correct, three Stinger Missiles."

"The Surface to Air Missile? We might want to lock down the areas surrounding LAX and any nearby airfields."

"It's already done. I've advised Homeland Security already. I'll be enroute shortly, so hang tight."

There was a pause before Claire spoke again. "Tony, I could've sworn I saw a guy who looked like Jack Bauer, fleeing the scene. Is there something I should know?"

Chloe and Edgar Stiles looked up and then looked at Tony.

Tony took a breath. "Negative…just hang tight." He began walking toward the parking garage when Kim walked forcefully up to him.

"I'm coming with you," she said and her face told him that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

12:25:02…03…04…05

I put the radio mike down and looked over our obliterated car. Bullet holes were everywhere on the body and all of the windows were blown out. White sheets covered the slain and crime scene investigators placed yellow cards at the major gatherings of shell casings that littered the area.

Nearby, a bus sat in much the same condition – riddled with bullet holes, flat tires, and smoke, coiling from the shattered engine.

"Hey, you're bleeding," a voice told me and I turned to see Curtis pointing down at my knee where I had scraped it.

"No biggie," I answered. "I led Hunter into that firestorm…I should have known better."

He leaned over and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed my knee. I winced and raised an eyebrow.

"Looks like you ruined a perfectly good pair of hose," he said. "Look, you did good. We're all alive and we stopped the attack with what we had. Hunter's a tough guy, he knew the risks. You just keep doing what you're doing and you'll get along fine."

Suddenly, an LAPD sergeant ran up. "We have more gunfire ten blocks from here at an office building."

He motioned us toward his vehicle and we dove in, slamming the doors shut. I began refilling magazines as the car screeched away, sirens blaring. Curtis pulled out his hand radio. "Tony, we got more shots fired. We're heading over there in an LAPD car."

12:27:17…18…19…20

Security Chief Cheng had discarded his black clothing and was now back in a business suit along with his three remaining men. He chafed at having Bauer within his sights, but letting him get away. Apparently, Bauer was attacking his other group single-handedly with nothing but a pistol.

With their weapons back in long cases, the four men strode quickly toward the rendezvous point.

At least they had Audrey Raines.

A call came in to Cheng's phone. "Hello?"

"You wanted me to call when I heard," answered a male in a Southern accent. "David Palmer's aircraft just took off. He's headed for LAX, transponder code of two-two-six-one."

Cheng nodded. He needed some good news about now. He cut the line and dialed another number.

A male voice with a British accent answered, "I have the Stingers. What do you want me to do?"

"Go to the hidden location near LAX. Your target has transponder code two-two-six-one. Destroy it."

12:28:55…56…57…58


	8. No Regrets

Thanks again everyone. In '24' fashion, the bad guys behind the bad guys emerge. Plus, the plan begins.

**_The following takes place between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm._**

12:30:14…15…16…17

The van holding Audrey Raines was smashed into a fire hydrant, which was spewing water into the air. Two of the gunmen lay dead on the street, victims of Jack Bauer's marksmanship. Other gunmen had taken cover and were peppering Jack with rifle fire.

Behind a wall, Jack popped out and fired two shots and then sprinted to a metal trash bin, hostile bullets pinging off of the street behind him. Jack dove behind the container and quickly pulled himself back up as rounds hammered the bin. Two gunmen rushed forward, firing on the move and Jack leaned out, pressing the trigger of his pistol.

The round found the attacker's face and the gunman spun before collapsing. Jack switched his aim to the next target, but saw his slide locked back. He reached down to find his last full magazine and yanked it out of the pouch. As he ejected the empty magazine, he felt a cold, hard muzzle press against his temple.

He took a deep breath and put his hands out in surrender.

"Good day to you, Mister Bauer." It was Cheng, holding a shotgun.

A stolen truck, driven by another gunman, screeched to a halt near the bin as Cheng took Jack's pistol. "Get in the truck, Mister Bauer," he said, motioning with his shotgun.

The door of the truck opened and eager hands grabbed Jack, pulling him inside.

Jack struggled. "Where's Audrey? Let me see Audrey!"

Cheng stepped in and slammed the door shut. "All in good time, Mister Bauer…all in good time."

12:36:33…34…35…36

In a clothing store in downtown Los Angeles near LAX, Mandy picked out a nice blue business suit and walked to the dressing room. The clerk took out a key and opened the flimsy door, letting Mandy enter. The dark-haired assassin quickly changed into the expensive attire and emerged. "I'll take this," she said, handing the clerk a fake credit card.

The transaction was rung up and Mandy slid a California drivers license on the counter with the name 'Claire MacGregor' written on it. "I'll just wear this out," she said and walked away with her old clothes in a bag.

Next, she crossed the street and went into a sporting goods store. She ambled up to the counter, where a vast store of firearms was held in glass cabinets. The salesman smiled at her – it was not often that an attractive woman wanted to peruse the gun locker.

"What can I do for you, miss?" he asked flirtatiously.

Mandy went into seductive mode immediately. "I'm looking for a weapon and you look like just the man to talk to."

He leaned over the counter at her and gazed into her gray eyes. "Oh, young lady like yourself might want to start with a less powerful gun, like say, a twenty-two?"

She blinked demurely. "Naw, I'll go with a forty-five…let me see that Springfield."

"Whoa," he answered, his eyebrow going up. "You sure you can handle that?"

Mandy put her fake CTU credentials on the counter. "Federal agent…I'm just getting a backup weapon."

12:42:18…19…20…21

In CTU Headquarters, Michelle Dessler stood, watching the electronic map of Los Angeles on the giant board. A yellow dot, representing Tony's car drove into the crime scene and stopped. Michelle took a deep breath.

_I know you have to do your job…but Tony, please, please don't make me regret this._

Michelle's attention was drawn to angry voices coming down the stairs from Bill Buchanan's office. Bill and Erin stepped onto the floor and began walking to the consoles.

"Bill, your people are way out of line," Erin said with a sharp edge. She pointed to Michelle. "I told her that Washington would never approve of Curtis responding to that shooting. I told her it was merely a gang matter and that there was no terrorism nexus."

"How do we know that, Erin," Bill shot back. "We don't even have the report from the field." He looked over to Michelle, obviously irritated. "Michelle…any updates?"

"Claire said she saw someone who looked like Jack Bauer," interjected Edgar and Michelle shot him a look that could only mean that he said something that he shouldn't have.

Michelle shook her head, but grabbed the microphone. "Tony, do you have anything for us at the scene?"

Some static crackled on the line. "I'm talking to LAPD and the man in custody is a known Triad."

"See," blurted Erin, "Nothing but a gang war. I want you to recall all of your units immediately."

However, Tony continued, "But there's more…It appears that this guy, named Gun Lo Min, has financial ties to Marwan's group."

Bill's eyes opened wide and he nodded. "That's enough for me. Tony, follow all logical leads and keep us informed." He looked over to Michelle. "Good work, Michelle," he said and started to move away.

"This isn't over, Bill," retorted Erin. "I'm contacting Washington."

He looked back at her and smiled. "You do that."

12:48:57…58…58…00

With sirens blaring, our car turned a sharp corner and flew down the street toward the site of the new shootout. I could see a spout of water where a van had crashed into a fire hydrant. Bullet holes became evident on the white vehicle as we got closer along with two bodies lying in the street, soaked in water. I crouched down in the back seat, ready for action, holding my M-4 close.

The car came to a halt, followed by two other LAPD vehicles. SWAT officers jumped out and began combing the area as Curtis and I joined them. Water cascaded down on my head, soaking me, my hair now dangling in tangled threads.

Shell casings lay in the road, bouncing around from the splashing water and I knelt down to look at some. "Curtis, there are pistol casings here…nine millimeter by the look." I pulled out a handkerchief and picked one up. "Yup, nines…government issue," I added, looking at the head stamp on the base of the casing.

Curtis gave me this odd look. "You think Jack Bauer is alive, don't you? What kind of conspiracy nonsense is that?"

"Look, I saw what I saw. I know I've never met Bauer, but I've seen enough pictures. Okay, hear me out…and correct me if I'm wrong…Jack Bauer leads a raid in the Chinese Consulate to capture a terrorist. He then uses the information to eventually take down Marwan and save Los Angeles. The President bends to foreign pressure, demanding Bauer's head. Bauer winds up dead. Now, okay, I'm the newbie and I don't know you all very well, but his two best friends, Tony and Michelle don't seem too broken up about it. Something's fishy, Curtis."

He gave a friendly chuckle like he was humoring me. "If you say so."

I returned a smirk and walked over to the dead guys. The police had already turned them over and removed their balaclavas. They were Asian with bright tattoos on their necks. They wore body armor under their black fatigues and carried numerous extra magazines. Someone had taken their weapons though.

I scanned around and saw a trash bin and an object on the ground. It looked like the bin had taken a beating with multiple bullet holes. The LAPD sergeant approached us. "Hey, we just found out that Miss Audrey Raines is missing. Isn't she Secretary Heller's daughter?"

Curtis nodded grimly.

I was distracted by the sound of rotor blades and I looked up to see the CTU chopper fly by. It was good to see that we had aerial coverage. A moment later, another car pulled up and Tony Almeida and a young, blonde woman stepped out.

Tony was on the cell phone for a moment and then hung up. He walked over to us, enduring the falling water. "Claire, this is Kim Bauer."

I raised an eyebrow and shot Curtis a quick look. "Nice to meet you, Kim," I said and extended my hand, which she took.

Tony motioned for us to return to his car and we followed him over. We jumped in and closed the doors. Tony looked Curtis and I square in the eyes.

"Jack Bauer is alive and he's in trouble. I just heard from David Palmer, who is on his way to Los Angeles."

I looked over to Curtis and smirked while he rolled his eyes at me. "Tony," I said, "I think they got Jack and Audrey Raines. Jack's shell casings are all over, but he's nowhere to be found. Tire tracks come up to a trash bin, where there's an empty pistol magazine on the ground…then, they head off down the road."

Kim's eyes widened, but she said nothing.

Tony nodded. "I get the feeling you're right." He put his finger up and he called back to CTU.

"Bill…yah, it's worse than we thought. I got a feeling Cheng has a hand in this, but isn't he being covered? What? He gave surveillance the slip?" He paused for a moment as if listening. "Are you sure? I don't think she's ready…not under these circumstances. Okay, it's your call."

Tony sighed and hung up the phone. "This is going to get tougher. Claire…you remember that long term plan that Bill Buchanan gave you? Well, it's no longer long term. You're going to make it happen today." He pulled up a backpack and handed it to me. "Inside is a change of clothes and fake ID's. I'll be your backup."

My jaw dropped. "Tony, I just got briefed in on this plan this morning…this is insane."

"Look, I didn't think it was such a hot idea either, but Jack's life is at stake."

I looked away and inhaled deeply. "Okay, okay…I know all about duty and sacrifice. When do we start?"

Kim could hold back no longer. "Tony, no…I'm going with her and that's final."

Tony was about to protest, when Kim added forcefully, "He's my dad, Tony…don't keep me out."

He bared his teeth, but nodded. "Don't make me regret this." He turned back to me. "Remember what Mandy said to us. Curtis and I will step out so you can get changed. Your mission starts now."

12:58:20…21…22…23

At Edwards Air Force Base, testing ground for many new systems, a Raven Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle streaked across the sky, making lazy turns around a command facility.

The Hawk, the latest in a series of UAV's, was designed for reconnaissance and weapons delivery. It could hold several missiles or even deliver chemical munitions to a target by remote control.

In the command bunker on the ground, pilots controlled the bird through its paces, climbing, diving, and turning. A large antenna beamed command signals from the bunker to the UAV.

One pilot sipped a cup of coffee as another monitored telemetry readings. "How's it looking, Chuck?"

"All systems are in the green. I think we have a winner. This puppy'll drop a chemical warhead in your lap and you won't even know it."

"Well, it beats having to actually be in it. I can drink my coffee, go take a pee when I want…. Hey, something's wrong."

The other pilot punched some buttons. "Dammit, we've lost the command signal…that's impossible."

The display showed the Hawk veer off course and begin a rapid descent. In a moment, it dipped beneath radar coverage and vanished.

The two pilots looked at each other. "Crap!"

12:59:58…59…00…01


	9. Smoke and Fire

Just a short one, but I didn't want to go too long without an update seeing as how the season is in swing. OMG, I can't believe who they killed off in the show.

**_The following takes place between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm._**

High above the California landscape, National Security Advisor, David Palmer sat in the back of a luxurious Bombadier bizjet, scanning data on his laptop. Across from him sat a Naval Officer dressed in a black formal uniform, also reading various streams of numbers and letters.

"Keith," said Palmer, scrolling down on the screen, "What can you tell me about this data? I know there is a link between my conversation with Jack Bauer and what happened down there. How could someone compromise our encrypted satellite communications?"

The officer looked up. "Sir, we know it has to be someone on the inside. Wait…look at this data stream. It looks like…it looks like someone tapped into the satellite system from Washington."

David looked over the numbers and then ran a search of persons who might have access to this technology, while Keith matched them to the data. "We can rule out anyone from Langley or NSA," he said, his brows furrowing.

Keith turned back to Mr. Palmer, horror in his eyes. "Sir, the intercept of your call…it originated from the White House. What's more is that I can show a connection to someone here in Los Angeles."

Palmer sighed. "Good work…. We can't trust anyone there. Let's switch to point to point comm. I know our range is limited, but get me Jack Bauer."

As Keith moved to activate the UHF array, for direct communications, a light came on in the cabin and a woman's voice announced, "We are beginning our final approach. Please fasten your seatbelts and bring your tray tables to the upright position."

The sound of the engines throttling down and the flaps and gear deploying reverberated throughout the cabin and the aircraft went into a lazy left bank.

1:06:33…34…35…36

Nine men on the ground, dressed in tactical gray, knelt down beside old cargo containers beside a dead security officer. One masked man pointed to a twin jet aircraft in a slow left hand turn. Its gear and flaps were down and its landing lights were bright.

The man looked down at a screen and the aircraft flashed the correct transponder code. "That's the one," he declared in a British accent.

"Da," replied another man in Russian and he and another stood up and aimed long, green tubes at the aircraft.

Soon, a high-pitched growl sounded and the man with the tube gave a thumbs up to which the Brit stated coldly. "Take him out."

Flame shot out the back of the tube and the Stinger rocketed into the air.

1:07:49…50…51…52

David Palmer listened to the phone ring and then Jack Bauer's voice mail picked up. "Dammit Jack…pick up."

With a grunt, he pushed the disconnect and redialed the CTU number. "I don't like contacting CTU, but I don't think we have a choice."

"Hello, Bill…it's David Palmer."

Bill Buchanan's voice came back, "Hello sir, I understand you're in Los Angeles. Someone is already on the way to pick you up."

"Thanks, Bill. Someone's been compromising our communications. Look, we're just about to land and I have some vital information on who…wait…something's wrong."

The aircraft lurched and flames could be seen just outside the port window. Inside the cockpit, the two pilots fought to keep the plane in the air.

"We've been hit by something! The number one engine is coming apart – shut it down," called the pilot.

The co-pilot immediately shut down the engine and the airspeed dropped. The pilot jammed the right throttle forward along with the right rudder pedal. "Mayday, mayday, mayday, requesting emergency equipment…engine fire, left," the pilot declared.

The tower came back, "Cleared for immediate landing…fire and rescue have been alerted."

The pilot pulled back hard on the yoke and the speed of the aircraft fell again. The nose dropped forward in a stall. "We're going in! Brace for crash landing!"

1:09:21…22…23…24

The masked men watched the aircraft smash into the runway, spewing flames and aviation gasoline. The fuselage twisted and skidded down along, hurling sparks and metal parts.

The Brit chuckled. "He's done…stick a fork in him."

The others pulled out black, nylon bags and began to unzip them. Two LAWS rocket launchers and various automatic weapons came out.

The Brit took a Steyr-AUG assault rifle and slapped a magazine in the well. "Now, all we have to do is wait for CTU agents to show up and eliminate them as well."

Soon, emergency vehicles rushed toward David Palmer's wrecked aircraft, sirens blaring.

1:12:19…20…21…22

Bill Buchanan held the telephone receiver in a death grip. "Mister Palmer! Mister Palmer…are you okay?" he called, but his voice was met with static. He slammed the phone down and turned to Michelle. "Something's happened to David Palmer's aircraft. I need agents to respond immediately to LAX."

Michelle looked up at the board. "Tony and Curtis are just around the corner. I can send them with a couple of other agents who are available."

Bill nodded tersely. "Do it…tell them to be careful." Then, he looked at Chloe. "O'Brien, I need you out there. Mister Palmer was telling me about someone compromising our communications. I need you on this."

Chloe jumped up out of her chair and grabbed her purse as she ran for the parking garage.

1:15:45…46…47…48

Claire had just gotten out of the car in her denim skirt and red blouse and hopped in a cab with Kim Bauer. Tony looked Curtis square in the eye. "Curtis, I don't know…this is way too dangerous for them – Claire's brand spanking new, and Kim's not much more experienced."

"I know…this comes straight from the top though."

The radio crackled. "Tony, this is Michelle. Something's happened to David Palmer's aircraft at LAX. You guys are right there. Bill wants you to link up with the agents who were going to pick up the NSA and find out what happened. Chloe will meet you our there."

"I'm on it, Michelle…and tell Bill Operation Doppelganger is in play. Damn Michelle…I can see a pillar of smoke at LAX now…crap, this can't be good."

Tony put the car in gear and sped off with lights and sirens going.

1:20:03…04…05…06


	10. Where's Audrey?

**W/N - **Yah, it's been a while, but the recent 24 finale motivated me.

Rubble and burning debris lay strewed all about the runway while sirens blared in the distance. Acrid smoke roiled up into the sky like a finger stabbing at Heaven. Through the haze, fire trucks and emergency vehicles raced across the tarmac toward the smashed bizjet.

Tony Almeida could now see the destruction – David Palmer's aircraft was completely engulfed in flames.

"This doesn't look good," groaned Curtis Manning as he jammed on the brakes, squealing the tires across the runway. The heat from the flames brought a grimy sweat to their brows as they stepped out of the car.

Tony drew his pistol and looked around to see other CTU agents pulling up nearby and firemen unrolling hoses. He pressed the button on his radio. "Michelle, the plane is a total wreck. All I see are bodies. What's Chloe's ETA?" he asked, shielding his face from the heat.

"_She's about five minutes out. Is there any sign of who did this?"_

Tony looked over to Curtis, who shook his head. "Not yet," Tony answered, "We're going to have a look around the perimeter." A reflection caught his eye and he glanced over, turning his body just as a bullet ripped through his shoulder.

Curtis' eyes grew wide and he dodged behind the open door. "Agent down! Take cover!" he yelled as the sound of automatic weapons fire erupted around them.

1:25:33…34…35

Jack Bauer lay in the back of Cheng's van, cuffed and blindfolded. His head was throbbing from the beating he had taken at the hands of Cheng's men. "Where are you taking me?" he demanded weakly.

He heard Cheng chuckle with sinister intent. "You seriously think I'm going to tell you? Well, Mister Bauer, you caused me a lot of inconvenience, but I will tell you this. I intend to expose your government's involvement in the raid on our consul. You will also serve as a useful tool for me. Do as I say and Miss Raines will come to no harm. Defy me, and she will die very painfully."

Jack thrashed around at the threat. "You bastard! I'll kill you if you harm Audrey," he said through gritted teeth, spittle flying from his lips.

He heard Cheng snort. "Thank you for confirming how dear she is to you," he said. Jack heard him shuffled about and then order the driver, "Turn north up here. I want to check on the status of the UAV."

The van made a turn and then went over a bump. Jack heard a garage door open and the van pull inside. They came to a stop and then Cheng and his men exited the van. They spoke in Chinese for a short time and Jack rolled himself near a window and pushed his blindfold up with his foot.

Cheng held a radio to his ear and nodded several times. "Your information is proving very valuable. Palmer has been neutralized along with most of the CTU agents," he said, making Jack's blood run cold.

"_I'll be sending you the data uplink for the UAV shortly. You'll be able to fly it from your location,"_ a man told Cheng in clear, unaccented English.

_I'm going to remember that voice,_ Jack thought as he slid his arms under his legs and brought them in front of him. He pulled the blindfold off and crouched down near the van door.

The van door opened and one of Cheng's men looked in surprise as Jack throttled him and took his pistol. Jack leapt out into the hornet's nest of Cheng's angry bees and fired two rounds into a nearby guard.

_Crap, they're too many. I've got to get take Cheng alive and find Audrey._

That was all great, but he had to go through ten more of Cheng's men to do it.

1:45:57…58…59…00


	11. Tony's Down

**Near LAX**

Chloe O'Brien maneuvered her CTU sedan around a corner, watching the pillar of smoke rise up from David Palmer's funeral pyre. She bit her lip as ropes of thick, black fumes wafted upward. _No, not Mister Palmer…. Not him._

To take her mind from those horrible thoughts, she turned up the CTU radio and her blood ran cold.

"_Tony's down! Tony's down! We're taking heavy fire."_

It was Curtis Manning shouting in an unusually shrill voice. It was serious.

Something took over Chloe's body and she jammed her foot down on the pedal and the engine roared. Her jaw fell open as if she were surprised at her own action and she saw the landscape blur by. Then, a look of anger crept slowly into her face as he jaw clenched shut and her eyes narrowed into laser beams.

_F them! These are my people. F them!_

Without blinking, Chloe ran through a wooden arm barring entry onto the flight line and sped into complete chaos. Airport guards were running about, firing at a cluster of cargo containers. Several of them lay motionless on the ground as bits of debris burned around them. She spun the wheel, skidding the car to the left, leaving burnt rubber on the pavement. All she could see was red.

"_We've got to fall back. We're pinned down,"_ Curtis called again.

Chloe cued in on a group of men in black fatigues, firing heavy weapons at the guards. The staccato burst of automatic weapons rang in her ears. One man saw her and they made eye contact as the car closed the distance. He pivoted on his feet and brought the muzzle of his AK rifle to bear on her head.

_What am I doing? I wanna take it back._

It was too late.

1:50:00…01…02

Jack Bauer dove behind a crate as men began shouting in Chinese and pointing at him.

"Mister Bauer, we don't want to harm you," came Cheng's accented voice.

"I wish I could say the same," Jack retorted as he leaned around the crate and sent two rounds into one of Cheng's men. The man pitched over backward and then all hell broke loose. Bullets tore into the crate, driving Jack back behind cover. Wood splinters showered him and he stuck his weapon over the crate to fire blindly in retaliation.

_I can't lose Audrey again. _

With a grunt, he sprinted to the right, firing several shots into another man, who fell over, spraying the ceiling with bullets. Jack adjusted his aim and pumped rounds into a third man before his slide locked back.

_Magazine's out. I have one more._

Instinctively, he hit the release and the empty magazine fell away. With his left hand, he slammed the new magazine into the well and flicked the slide forward. All around him, he heard running.

_They're trying to flank me._

Before he could move, sirens blared in the distance. It was LAPD.

"Let's get out of here," called Cheng and Jack could hear the men retreating. "Say good bye to Audrey now, Mister Bauer. She will not be seen alive again."

Jack growled like a feral dog and rushed out, pistol extended…but they were gone. He sprinted like a madman to the nearest exit, only to see the van speeding away from the warehouse and away from the police. In anger, he fired his entire magazine into the fleeing van and then howled in frustration as the police arrived.

"My name is Jack Bauer, I'm a federal agent with CTU," he announced, showing a badge. "You need to apprehend that van," he ordered, pointing down the road.

An officer nodded and dispatched a blue and white after it, but Jack knew Cheng would slip away. With his lip curled back in fury, he marched over to one of the wounded thugs and put a knife to the man's eye. "You're going to tell me where Audrey Raines is."

1:59:47…48…49


	12. Chloe's Charge

**W/N - **Not everything will line up exactly on time, but I try.

**The following takes place between 2p.m. and 3p.m.**

**2:00:06…07…08**

**CTU Headquarters**

Michelle Dessler's expression was blank, but she shook in horror as more calls came over the radio, announcing the battle at the airport. Her knees became weak and she began to slide toward the floor.

_No…no…not again. I can't take this again. Not Tony._

The pop and buzz of gunfire could be heard clearly over the radio static, but Michelle had tuned everything out. Her head swam with worry and she only vaguely felt a helping hand assist her to a seat.

"Michelle…Michelle, are you okay?"

It was Bill Buchanan.

Michelle gasped as if she had just surfaced for air and her eyes locked onto Bill's. "Tell me he's still alive, Bill," she said, grasping his sleeves and digging her fingers into his arm. "I can't go through this again…I can't."

She saw Bill gulp hard and look away and the bottom fell out from her stomach.

2:04:58…59…00

**The Airport**

Chloe threw herself down on the seat as muzzle flashes lit up in front of her and her windshield shattered into a million pieces, hurling bits of glass everywhere. Chloe heard a shrill scream and realized that it was her. The hood of the car popped up and slammed into the cabin as bullets riddled the vehicle.

_I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die in this f'd up place!_

Then, she heard a hammering sound and a scream in a deeper voice. Something bounced off the roof of the car, denting it deeply and then flew off the back. The sound of gunfire lessened for a moment until she could hear men rushing toward the car.

_Someone's opening the door. Oh God!_

Opening her eyes for the first time, she reached out to grab the man, hoping to surprise him…hoping to save herself.

"Chloe! Thank God you're okay. What the heck were you thinking?"

It was Curtis.

"Curtis…give me a freaking cigarette," she said in a shaky voice as Curtis pulled her from the wrecked car. Several terrorists lay scattered about, crushed by Chloe's reckless charge.

Curtis pulled a thin stick from his pocket and handed it to Chloe. He flicked his lighter and she took a deep drag before letting out the smoke. "You saved us, you know," he said solemnly, but she didn't respond. "I thought you didn't smoke," he added.

"I don't," she said, annoyed at the question. Then, she took another breath. "Tony…?"

"He's okay. Just a bullet through the shoulder. Ambulance is taking him back to CTU now."

Chloe took another drag and then flicked the half smoked cigarette onto the body of one of the terrorists.

2:11:31…32…33

**The Warehouse**

Jack Bauer released the hair of the helpless terrorist and sheathed his razor-sharp dagger. The tension in his face was obvious as his jaw was taut and his muscles tightly flexed. He wiped the sweat that had beaded under his nose. "I need to get to China Town. I need a car," he demanded of an officer.

The officer shook his head. "These are LAPD vehicles. We're pretty strapped ourselves."

Jack was about to protest when a car drove up and a pretty lady with ebony hair stepped out. She was smartly dressed in a business suit and her jacket caught the breeze for a moment, revealing a badge on her belt and a .45 pistol in a holster. Recognition flooded into his eyes and he reached for his weapon, which was now reloaded.

"Mandy! Officer, grab her!"

The woman held up her hands to show her lack of hostility and stepped back. "Wait! I take it you're Jack Bauer. I'm not Mandy. My name is Claire MacGregor…I'm a new agent at CTU. I was recruited because I look like Mandy. It's part of a sting operation against Marwan's faction. Here…here are my credentials."

Jack seized the wallet with a healthy dose of skepticism and looked over the picture and seal. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed.

"Michelle…this is Jack. You don't sound so good. I know I'm breaking the no contact protocol, but I've been drug back in by Cheng. I'll explain later, but he has Audrey and I'm going after Cheng…."

"I can't wait for backup. He's got her in China Town. One of his men…told me. Also, I've got a woman here, who looks exactly like Mandy, but she says she's an agent working a special operation…. She's who she says she is…good," he said and clicked the phone shut.

He looked over at the woman and relaxed with a long exhale. "You showed up at the right time, Claire. We need to go to China Town."

Mandy returned a cold gaze at Jack and nodded. "Hop in. I'll drive."

2:30:11…12…13


	13. Tony's Decision

**W/N - **Thanks for reading. This chapter takes a breather from the action and looks at the characters.

**In a Cab Bound for China Town**

Traffic was pretty heavy as I sat in the cab with Kim Bauer. The cabbie listened to the radio as a news reporter told of gunfights in the city. I sighed, knowing that we'd be stuck in traffic for a while before reaching our destination. Then, a new reporter broke onto the airwaves.

"_We have just received confirmation of a terrorist incident at LAX. Former President David Palmer's aircraft has been shot down. There were no survivors."_

"What?" I called out as my blood ran cold. "It can't be." I looked over to Kim as her face bleached white in horror.

"This is terrible!" said the cabbie, covering his face with his hands. "What is this country coming to?"

_President Palmer recruited me. He trusted me to carry out this mission. I can't believe he's dead._

I felt my eyes welling up with tears and I fought to control myself. Biting my lip, thought, _I can't let him down. _Traffic was not getting any better and we were only a couple of miles away. I grabbed Kim. "We're going to walk," I said as I flicked a couple of twenties at the cabbie and opened the door. We leapt out onto the sidewalk and looked up at the sky which showed us the pillar of black smoke that rose up toward the heavens.

"It's true…," I whispered, struggling with my feelings, feeling like I had been kicked in the gut. Kim looked like I felt too. "How are you doing?" I asked as we began walking toward China Town.

She seemed unsteady. "Claire, I don't know if I can do this. A few days ago, my dad was dead. Now, he's alive and the whole world's coming apart again."

I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but I was just as scared and unsure. After all, I was picked for my looks, not my skill. "I know we can do this together, Kim. We have to complete this mission…for Mister Palmer."

Somehow, this seemed to comfort her and we wove are way down the busy sidewalk. We worked our way around a corner and saw some bright signs in Chinese. "This must be the place," Kim said as if it meant our doom.

I saw a couple of street signs and pointed down one road. "Tony told me it would be down that way." I took a couple of deep breaths and put my hand on my Glock to check it. "Shall we?" I asked and we headed off toward a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with a bevy of ducks hanging in the window. I checked my watch. "We're still early. I just hope to freaking God that Mandy told us something true."

Kim took a glance in the restaurant and shook her head. "I don't see the contact yet," she said as she held up the digital recorder. "Okay, the equipment is working. I'll be your backup out here. Remember the code words, Claire?"

I nodded. "I do…and remember, I'm Mandy from now on." I gulped hard and walked into the restaurant, trying to think how Mandy would behave. _She'd own this place._

"Table for two," I said confidently.

"But there's only one of you," replied the waiter, dressed in a formal white shirt.

I stared at him coldly. "I have a date coming," I said to which he escorted me to a window seat. I glanced out the window to see Kim standing near a shop. Then, my earpiece crackled.

"_A man, fitting Mandy's given description, is entering the restaurant."_

I looked up and made eye contact. He waved. It was show time.

2:40:37…38…39

**CTU Headquarters**

The ambulance pulled up to the downramp into CTU Headquarters and the heavy metal gate rose to let it in. Tony Almeida lay back on the gurney, putting pressure on his wounded shoulder. _It's not too bad. I just have to keep telling myself that. It's what they told me._

It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch though.

"Hold still," an EMT told him. "We're almost there."

Tony made a face that projected displeasure. "How soon can you patch me up? I've got to get back out there."

The EMT sighed. "You're lucky to be alive, Mister Almeida. If that bullet had hit one inch to the right, you'd be dead. As it stands, you need to see a doctor ASAP."

"Ok, fine," he said, obviously disappointed.

The ambulance came to a stop and the back doors flew open. Nurses came up and seized the gurney, dragging it from the vehicle. Tony blinked as he was pulled under bright lights, but a familiar face came into view.

"Michelle…."

She took her hand in his and held it tight. Her face was full of hope and fear. "When the call first came in…I…I," she said, but couldn't finish.

He tried to laugh, but it hurt too much. "I know you told me to be careful," he joked. This only seemed to make her mad.

She pulled away and balled her fists. "Tony, I went through this just a few days ago when I thought that that horrid Mandy blew you up! This is too much. I can't take it!"

He reached out with both arms, causing himself excruciating pain…but he didn't care. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "Michelle…Michelle," he said soothingly. "When this is done, we're going to start a new life. I'm going to leave CTU. I'm done. I can't do this to you."

She pulled back for a moment and looked into his eyes. Her mouth was wide open. "Are…are you serious?"

He cracked his infamous half smile – the one that had rocked her to the core. "As a gunshot wound."

An angry expression broke over Michelle's face before she burst into laughter and grabbed him tight. "Damn you, Tony Almeida, you rogue agent."

"Owww, that hurts. I am serious, Michelle, but first we have to get through this. We have a mission to complete."

They both looked over to the nurses, who seemed pleasantly amused. "Are you done now?"

2:53:59…00…01

**In a Vehicle Heading for China Town**

Jack sat anxiously in the car as it became bogged down in traffic. He kept squeezing his hands over and over, hoping for things to clear. "Dammit," he muttered, hitting the ceiling. "Claire, how close are we?"

Mandy leaned out the window to get a better read on the traffic. "I'd be about a twenty minute walk."

Jack gritted his teeth. "Let's pull over," he ordered. "It'd be faster to walk."

Mandy nodded. "As you wish," she said as she slid into a parking space and threw up a CTU plaque on the dash board. "You know, they told me you were dead, Jack," she said as she exited the car.

He jumped out and immediately began a brisk walk. "I was…I got better."

Mandy chuckled. "Monty Python, right?"

"Yah, whatever. Let's keep walking." He broke out into a jog, which Mandy matched.

"What are we going to do when we get there?"

Jack looked over, serious as a heart attack. "We rescue Audrey. We capture Cheng."

Mandy shrugged. "Sounds simple enough."

A few minutes later, Jack stopped short and pointed down an alleyway. "That's it," he said. "In that warehouse." He knelt down and wiped the sweat from his face. He pulled his silver pistol and made sure he had extra magazines. "Okay, Claire, here's how it works. I'll go in first and you back me up."

Mandy drew her .45 auto and drew the slide back slightly to make sure it was loaded. "No problem, Jack," she said evenly. He stood and began creeping toward the warehouse and Mandy fell in behind him, looking at the back of his head. "I've been waiting for this," she added cryptically.

2:59:58…59…00


	14. He's Really Dead

W/N - This is just a quick chapter, but I wanted to introduce some well-known characters to the story and weave them into the adventure. The cloak and dagger theme deepens and who do we trust?

Thank you all and I appreciate your support. :)

**The Following Takes Place Between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.**

**At LAX**

Curtis Manning sat on his haunches and lowered his head into his hands and dug his fingers into his temples with grief. He shook his head and looked at the body one more time to prove to himself that it wasn't just a dream.

_He's really dead. Mister Palmer is dead. How many times did he save us all? _

Except for some debris and a few minor burns, it looked as if David Palmer were only sleeping. Curtis reached out and brushed ashes from the former President's face. Then, he lay his hand solemnly on the man's chest. "Rest in peace, Mister President," he said, choking on his words.

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Chloe. She too, looked haggard. In that moment, they just stood there and felt each others' sorrow over the loss of so great a man. Then, the area came alive as emergency personnel gathered around.

Curtis broke eye contact with Chloe and addressed the workers. "Gently, people, gently. Carry him with honor," he commanded and they lifted Mister Palmer onto a stretcher with care.

"Curtis…they need us back at CTU," said Chloe. "There's a car waiting for us."

He nodded stiffly and took one final look at David Palmer's body. "Okay, let's roll," he answered and walked over to the vehicle. He picked up a microphone and keyed it. "Bill, this is Curtis…no survivors. We have a few of the terrorists in custody and are returning now. Spin up an interrogation team…we'll need some answers."

He then jumped into the car, followed by Chloe and the driver pulled away and fell in with a convoy of CTU Suburbans.

3:06:08…09…10

**Washington D.C.**

Newly sworn in President Charles Logan paced nervously in the Oval Office as Advisor Mike Novik sat in a chair, looking out the window. Like the glove that was several sizes too large, the Office was far too big for Logan to fill. The President looked around the room full of his cabinet members, hoping that someone would step up and tell him what to do.

"Mister President," voiced Mike in his nasal tone, "the assassination of David Palmer is horrible tragedy and a huge threat to our national security. We have to take action."

Logan looked stunned by the words…like a deer in the headlights. Then, in a sudden reversal, he morphed into an out of control beast, slamming his fist on the table. "Don't you think I know that, Mike! But what is it that we have to do?"

Mike placed his palms out to calm the President. "Mister President, please…I've spoken with Bill Buchanan of CTU and he assures me that all of his people are on this situation. The National Guard has been put on standby should we need them."

The President seemed somewhat calmed by this, but still, he paced about, shaking his head. He looked over to his chief of security, Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce. "How could this have happened? Who's responsible?"

Mike Novik stood and spoke calmly, "We don't have that information yet. Bill will let us know as soon as he has anything."

Then, the great doors to the Oval Office swung open and Walt Cummings took a few steps in. "Mister President…Mike…there's to be a briefing in the Situation Room in ten minutes. The Joint Chiefs will have a contingency plan."

President Logan waved his hands in the air. "Thank God someone has a clue here," he ranted as he strode away from his desk, followed by Aaron Pierce. Cummings held the door for Mike Novik and then turned off in another direction.

"I'll join you in the Situation Room," he said with a wave. He walked down the hall and turned the corner where he saw a young staffer walking toward him. With the quickest of movements, he slid a paper into the staffer's hand and turned down another corridor. The young man then walked to the White House Communications Room, where he stepped inside.

A young marine sat at the communications console, half asleep, but bolted up for the staffer. "Sir?"

The staffer motioned the marine to leave. "I have a sensitive communication that has to go out for Mike Novik. I need you to step outside."

"Sir!" the marine responded and left the room.

The staffer sat and opened the paper. He input Mike Novik's personal authorization code and then dialed in a secure frequency. "_Tovarish_," he said in Russian, "I am sending you information that will help the UAV avoid detection. _Das Vedanya_." He then pushed a thumb drive into the console and uploaded the data. When this was done, he pushed the "send" button and it was done.

He had sealed the fate of Los Angeles with one finger.

3:13:13…14…15…16


	15. A Storm in China Town

**W/N - **Thank you again, everyone. I do appreciate the feedback. I also appreciate ideas and suggestions of what characters you want to see more of and plot ideas. We're back to the action and more skullduggery.

**In China Town**

Jack Bauer crouched down near the entrance to the warehouse. He and Mandy had staked it out for a time before Jack was ready to make his move. The afternoon sun cast long shadows down the alleyway, shielding them from prying eyes. Bauer ran his hand up and down his cheek, which was covered in three-day whiskers. It was time.

"We've seen three or four of Cheng's men come and go," he said. When the next one opens the door, we make our move."

Mandy nodded. "I'll be right behind you, Jack."

Within a couple of seconds, the door opened and two Asian men stepped out of the warehouse. The taller one put a phone to his mouth and began speaking in Chinese. Jack saw that they were both armed with submachineguns.

"Okay, move," he ordered and he rushed diagonally at them. The man with the phone looked up with surprise in his eyes, but Jack put two shots into him. The crack of his pistol sent a flock of birds fluttering into the sky. The second man raised his black Uzi and Jack turned to face him, but the man was too fast. _Crap!_ Two shots rang out…and the man fell backward. Jack looked back to see Mandy moving with her pistol held out.

"Good shooting, Claire," Jack said and Mandy gave him a cryptic smile. "Come, we've got to move quickly." Together, they rushed to the door and put their backs into the wall. "I'll go right, you go left," he said and then darted in. He crossed through the threshold, hearing shouts in Chinese. The loud _pop_ of weapon fire rang out as he dove for cover.

_I hope Claire gets through_.

The _boom_ of a forty-five pistol told him that she was fine for the moment and he scrambled behind a car as bullets pinged around him. _Where's Audrey? I've got to locate her._

He pushed his face to the cold, concrete floor and saw feet rushing at him. On instinct, he pushed his 9mm forward and began pressing the trigger. Shell casings flew onto the ground and men screamed. Without bothering to see what happened, Jack slapped a fresh magazine into the weapon.

"Claire!" he called, trying to get her attention amid the chaos. As soon as he said it, he knew it was a mistake. He heard a, _clink clink clink_ and knew immediately it was a grenade that they had thrown at the sound of his voice. The deadly sphere rolled under the car and Jack's eyes widened.

3:17:31…32…33

**At a Restaurant in China Town**

I watched my contact stuff the last bit of duck into his mouth and chew loudly. I had to admit, the duck _was_ pretty good. I took a sip of tea and spooned a bit of almond float. "I didn't get your name," I said.

The man, who looked to be about 40, gave me an offhanded smile. "I hope you found the dim sum here to be satisfactory," he replied, avoiding the question. "They usually don't serve it this late in the day. You must have some hold over the owners."

I smirked, knowing that he would answer in his own time. I tried to keep calm despite my fears. "It was excellent. I should come here more often." Then, I decided to go on the offense to put the ball in his court. I had to play the card that Mandy gave me. "I did my part for Cheng and Marwan and it nearly got me killed. I am still awaiting compensation."

He seemed a little put off by this and pursed his lips. "We Chinese don't like to rush business. After all, it's about the relationship," he said, sticking his fork into another piece of duck.

His lack of denial at my information gave me hope that Mandy had told the truth. I nodded in agreement. "I understand _guanxi_ and how it _is_ about the relationship. I apologize for my rudeness, but I am rather short on time."

Slowly, he chewed on his bite and swallowed. Then, he splayed his hands and smiled with crooked teeth. "I accept your apology. There is one thing, however," he added, "Cheng is altering the terms of your agreement. You must come with me to find out more."

I knew Mandy would protest and I started to do so, but my _friend_ held up his hand to stop me. "There is no use in complaining. We have the upper hand in our _relationship_. You would do best to follow Cheng's instructions," he said and laid two twenty dollar bills on the table. He stood and motioned me like a dog to follow him. For a brief moment, I imagined Mandy strangling him.

With a shrug, I stood and glanced out the window and my blood ran cold. Kim was gone.

**In China Town**

The grenade exploded under the car as Jack leapt over the hood of another car and slammed into the ground hard. Shrapnel ignited the fuel of the first car and it burst into a roaring cauldron of flame, throwing glass and metal into the air. Jack ignored the pain and rolled to the trunk of the vehicle. He popped up and saw Cheng's men charging the burning car, firing indiscriminately. With a sneer, Jack opened fire and his muzzle flashed, pushing the weapon back as brass flew from his gun. He fired again and again, catching the surprised men in the open. Several of them collapsed, firing blindly at him, trying to stop his fusillade.

Then, a bullet slammed into the metal of the truck, throwing shards and sparks into his face. His eyes were on fire and he cried out in agony, shielding his face. He tried to roll away, but bullets were _thumping_ into the car, tearing it apart. He knew another grenade would be coming.

Then, the booming report of the forty-five rang out and there were panicked cries in Chinese. Jack heard the scrambling of feet and his vision began to return. He popped back up to see Mandy aiming at one man. In slow motion, a long sheet of flame burst from the muzzle of her pistol and the weapon recoiled back as the man pitched over backward and crashed to the ground. Mandy moved up and put two more rounds into the man for good measure.

_Damn, this woman is as ruthless as I am._

"Need a hand, Jack," she said, extending one.

"Naw, I'm good. There," he said, pointing to an office with a light on, "Audrey must be in there." His heart was pounding in his chest now. He knew she had to be in there. He hoped she was still alive.

They ran up to the door and Jack kicked it in without waiting. With his pistol held out, he burst in and saw a man holding Audrey. She was tied and gagged and a knife was held to her throat.

"Throw it down, Mister Bauer," the man commanded and pressed the blade hard into Audrey's neck until blood trickled down and she gasped from the pain.

3:28:49...50...51


End file.
